West Germamy’s P.R.

Press, 4 November 1986, Page 20

West Germamy’s P.R.

The row that has erupted between the Federal Republic of Germany and the Soviet Union would have many of the elements of farce were it not for the fact that relations between West Germany and the Soviet Union are always something of a thermometer of international relations. Chancellor Kohl made remarks which the Soviet Union found offensive and the Soviet Union has since cancelled two official visits by West Germans to the Soviet Union. Chancellor Kohl is scrambling for a way out for the situation which should leave the Soviet Union in no doubt that Chancellor Kohl did not intend to be insulting.

Dr Kohl is in trouble because of two statements he made in an interview with the American magazine, “Newsweek.” The first was a statement about Mr Gorbachev, the Soviet General Secretary: “He is a modern Communist leader who knows something about public relations.” The second was a statement about Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi propaganda chief: “Goebbels, one of those responsible for the crimes of the Hitler era, was an expert in public relations too.” The statements were connected in the magazine and may have been spoken that way. Chancellor Kohl does not deny making a point and citing the two men, but dissociates himself from the implication that he was comparing the two. What he wanted to say was that public relations did not reflect actual policy.

Dr Kohl would have benefited from a course in public relations before putting himself in the position where such a link could be made. His intentions apart, there was a reasonable chance that a link would be made between the statements and the conclusions drawn that he was regarding the two men as in some way comparable.

Considering that most Soviet speeches on the evils of war have long started with a description of how the Soviet Union suffered greatly at the hands of Nazi Germany, Dr Kohl might have been better advised to seek almost any example from the exponents of public relations, other than Joseph Goebbels. His assurance that he had not been meaning to compare the two men needs to be taken as genuine. The row will blow over. Dr Kohl appears to be adopting the ancient principle of blaming the journalist; but “Newsweek” is presenting some solid backing for its position. However, the West German Chancellor is so obviously embarrassed that the Soviet Union is unlikely to allow the incident to harm relations over the long term. The substantive point that Chancellor Kohl is making needs some attention. It is true that Mr Gorbachev is a modern leader who shows some ability to grasp how the West is likely to react to a situation. It is equally certain that Mr Gorbachev will use this ability to serve the ends of his country. But Mr Gorbachev is an altogether more outgoing man with a sense of how the world works generally. He has been even more active within the Soviet Union in trying to persuade Soviet people to change their ways than he has been in directing his comments to the West.

Nevertheless, it would be a mistake to see him as an example of a Soviet liberal who has taken over the reins of power. The fact that he is a person with whom the West is able to communicate, and one who shows some capacity to grasp what is being talked about by the West, is a bonus for the West. It is not something to be dismissed, even in a less hamfisted way than Chancellor Kohl’s.